Students in Port Douglas and Mossman have packed their lunch boxes and headed back to school for another year (or their first) of study.

In Port Douglas, State School students donned their new school uniforms and were brought to the gates by their parents, many of whom were more nervous than their kids while other parents seemed quite excited by the prospect of their children returning to school.

In the year ahead, parents are being asked to familiarise themselves with the changes to state school holidays that take effect from this year.

This year’s Easter holidays will be extended from six days to two weeks after a ten week first term.

For state schools, the 2012 Easter holidays will begin on Saturday 31 March and students will go back to school for term two on Monday 16 April.

The changes followed feedback that long first terms were tiring, especially for younger students, student-free days scattered throughout the year were disruptive for working parents, and that the current Easter holidays did not align with those of many non-state schools.

A one-off Queen's Diamond Jubilee holiday on June has been planned allowing community and sporting events to continue without disruption. 

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